The Tuition Fees Consistency Awards

Simply out of interest I thought I'd compare and contrast those MPs who voted on the original Higher Education Bill that brought in Tuition Fees in 2004 and last week's vote on raising those fees. I wanted to find out which MPs were actually consistent on the issue.

The first list is easy. Of everyone who voted for tuition fees in 2004 not a single MP voted for the rise in 2010. There is not a single MP who has been a consistent advocate of the current policy on tuition fees.

The second list is made up of the Labour 2004 'rebels', the Lib Dem and Tory 2010 'rebels' as well as SNP/Plaid. This list does not contain abstainers only people who voted against tuition fees both times.

Ms Annette Brooke	Mid Dorset and North Poole	Ldem
Mr Menzies Campbell	North East Fife	Ldem
Mr Andrew George	St Ives	Ldem
Mr Mike Hancock	Portsmouth South	Ldem
Mr Charles Kennedy	Ross, Skye and Inverness West	Ldem
Mr John Pugh	Southport	Ldem
Mr Alan Reid	Argyll and Bute	Ldem
Mr Bob Russell	Colchester	Ldem
Mr Adrian Sanders	Torbay	Ldem
Mr Roger Williams	Brecon and Radnorshire	Ldem
Miss Diane Abbott	Hackney North and Stoke Newington	Labour.
Mr Martin Caton	Gower	Labour.
Mr Jeremy Corbyn	Islington North	Labour.
Mr David Crausby	Bolton North East	Labour.
Mr Jon Cruddas	Dagenham	Labour.
Mr John Cryer	Hornchurch	Labour.
Mr Ian Davidson	Glasgow Pollok	Labour.
Mr Jim Dobbin	Heywood and Middleton	Labour.
Mr Frank Dobson	Holborn and St Pancras	Labour.
Mr Paul Farrelly	Newcastle-under-Lyme	Labour.
Mr Paul Flynn	Newport West	Labour.
Mr Roger Godsiff	Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath	Labour.
Mr Dai Havard	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney	Labour.
Ms Kate Hoey	Vauxhall	Labour.
Mr Kelvin Hopkins	Luton North	Labour.
Mr Eric Illsley	Barnsley Central	Labour.
Ms Glenda Jackson	Hampstead and Highgate	Labour.
Mr Tony Lloyd	Manchester Central	Labour.
Mr Ian Lucas	Wrexham	Labour.
Mr John McDonnell	Hayes and Harlington	Labour.
Mr Michael Meacher	Oldham West and Royton	Labour.
Mr George Mudie	Leeds East	Labour.
Mr Albert Owen	Ynys Môn	Labour.
Mr Dennis Skinner	Bolsover	Labour.
Mr Jon Trickett	Hemsworth	Labour.
Mr Elfyn Llwyd	Meirionnydd Nant Conwy	PC
Mr Hywel Williams	Caernarfon	PC
Mr Angus Robertson	Moray	SNP.
Mr Michael Weir	Angus	SNP.
Mr Pete Wishart	North Tayside	SNP.
David Davis	Haltemprice and Howden	Tory
Julian Lewis	New Forest East	Tory

That's ten Lib Dems, twenty four Labour, two Tories, two Plaid and three SNP MPs. Forty one MPs in total. Obviously this list excludes those MPs who weren't MPs in both 2004 and 2010. Well done all of them for being consistent on this issue.

I should point out there is not a logical inconsistency in voting for introducing fees and opposing tripling them, although some might argue that the first allowed the second. I think there is a problem though in voting against introducing them and then being in favour of their increase, as we have seen many Lib Dems and Tories do - but there are too many of them to bother listing.